Hello, all.

I've been keeping a date/time log for all my headaches from the past three years (the first three years of my headaches I had no clue as to what they were, so I'd never bothered to log them, unfortunately).

Anyhow, a new cycle started on May 13th, and it's been the most active of any I've recorded.  One thing I've noticed, though, from all of my recorded cycles, is that there is sometimes consistency in the timing of the attack, but not always.  Sort of consistency without being consistent.

For instance, last week for 4 of 5 days, I had headaches begin very close to 3:30 PM (a bad time for me, as I'm finishing up work).

The last four night nights in a row, I've had headaches begin within an hour of falling asleep at night.  The thing with those is that on work nights, when I went to bed at 10PM, I got the headaches between 11 and 11:20PM.  Last night (no work today), I went to bed at 1:30AM and woke up with a headache around 3:45AM.  While the time on the clock was different, it was approximately an hour after I went to sleep.  I find that strange -- particularly, as the ones which started at work had nothing at all related to sleep.

Trying to find a pattern, but there really is no consistent pattern.

BTW, I had 3 last night, and either the oxygen didn't work (at least not on the second one), or something happened to the mask.  (It didn't feel the same as when I previously used it and it worked.  I could feel air blowing directly on my nose/mouth, which I don't recall previously.)  Anyhow, if it's stopped working already, I'm going to be an even less happy camper than I normally am.

Eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new body.  Hopefully, the sooner the better.   :)

Jim,

A lot of us get them within an hour of falling to sleep no matter the time we go to sleep (I get them if I dare take a nap on the weekend). It has to do with REM sleep which is when the brain basically stores or throws out what occurred that day. The problem for many of us is we hit REM within an hour of falling asleep, get woken up by the beast, abort with 02 or fight with it for an hour, go back to sleep and freakin hit REM sleep again and so it continues. You can find this aspect of our disease throughout the message boards. I wish you luck and I hope you check out some of the alternative methods on the boards to bust your cycle.

David

Yeah, REM sleep is NOT a friend to CH'ers. Melatonin is an over the counter supplement available at vitamin and health food stores. Start with 3-6 mg just before going to bed. Some go as high as 12 mg to get relief. Many have found relief drom the night time terrors using this. Give it a couple of days to see if it has any effect on you.

Look at the general board, towards the top, the Optimask. Well worth the money from what people are posting on the board.

Joe

I can always set my clock to when my ch will hit.  They always occur at the same time every day.  I think that is common with ch.

What's up Jim the Bassplaya?  If I got them every afternoon at 3:30, I would have a little caffeine refreshment at 3:15.  For me a coke or tea or coffee would work.  Others like the redbull. >:(

Caffeine that late in the day has the potential to disrupt sleep for some.  Sounds like your sleep sucks anyways though :D

Also, caffeine has the potential to push the headache to later, but it is worth a try because you get them later too.

Good luck daddy-o! :P

--Shaggy

shaggyparasol wrote on May 29^th, 2010 at 1:44pm:

What's up Jim the Bassplaya?  If I got them every afternoon at 3:30, I would have a little caffeine refreshment at 3:15.  For me a coke or tea or coffee would work.  Others like the redbull. >:( Caffeine that late in the day has the potential to disrupt sleep for some.  Sounds like your sleep sucks anyways though :D Also, caffeine has the potential to push the headache to later, but it is worth a try because you get them later too. Good luck daddy-o! :P --Shaggy

Thanks.  I'll have to give that a try. 

Regarding the sleep -- not always.  I went several days with no night clusters, then several days with no day clusters.  You can never figure them out.  As disruptive as the night ones can be, I'd prefer those as it's worse getting them at work.  Today, I seem to have a mild underlying one all day.  I'm more annoyed by the oxygen not working last night.  I hope it was a fluke.  I'd hate to lose my only-recently discovered respite so soon after it's discovery.